The End of You
by Ichigo2491
Summary: Inuyasha POV. “KAGOME!” I scream my rage and pain at the heavens, louder than the sound of the rain, reviling the gods who dared to take you from me. And yet I know I cannot blame the gods, because it is all my fault.


The End of You 

By Ichigo2491

_I do not own Inuyasha or Kagome, or any of the other characters. They belong to Rumiko Takahashi. This is the first work I've ever posted, so be kind please! _

Rain soaks the world, turning the hard ground you fell on to a puddle of soupy brown. I kneel with pounding head and heart, uncaring of the mud that stains me, but highly conscious of the blood dripping from my hands.

You lie moaning in pain, a few feet from me, blood pouring from the slashes in your side. As the last of the red fades from my eyes, I realize what I have done. For a moment it does not register--I could not possibly have done such a thing to you--but then I smell the blood on my own hands, and I know that my cursed claws drew this sticky red substance from your veins. In shock and horror, I whisper your name.

I run to you, scoop your broken body into my arms. I thought these arms were made to hold you, but look what damage I have inflicted with just one hand. I lift the bloodstained cloth of your blouse, and bare to my view the wounds left by the blow I dealt to your delicate flesh. I am sickened, numbed by grief and self-hatred, astonished at my violence.

You turn your soft eyes on me, tears of pain sparkling in them. I feel the stinging salty moisture welling in my own eyes, and my voice catches in my throat as I say your name again. Your bow-shaped lips turn upward in a weak, pain-filled smile. Your fragile hand touches my undeserving cheek as you whisper to me. You speak of our journey together, our friends, our fights, and finally, of your love for me.

I try to silence you, hearing the rasp in your voice, knowing that every word is a struggle, and speaking hurts you. You go on despite my protests, telling me that you only want me to be happy. Tears begin to spill down my face as you speak again, for what I know will be the last time:

"I love you as a half-demon, Inuyasha."

There is so much I need to say to you in our last moments together, but the ill-fated words crowd and jostle in my constricted throat, and I cannot bring myself to utter them. None of them can possibly encompass the despair and anguish that I feel. Instead I lean down and kiss your soft lips; the rain blends with our tears, and I taste the bitterness of death on your innocent skin.

You draw one last ragged breath, and then your eyes roll back, and you become limp in my shaking arms. My heart jolts horribly, and I feel sick. I will myself to die with you. "Kagome," I murmur, my body beginning to tremble uncontrollably. My tears roll off my face in waves and land on your cold porcelain cheeks. For the first time since my childhood, I begin to sob.

"KAGOME!" I scream my rage and pain at the heavens, louder than the sound of the rain, reviling the gods who dared to take you from me. And yet I know I cannot blame the gods, because it is all my fault. I cradle your beaten frame in my unworthy embrace and brush your icy lips with mine again and again, trying to force the life back into you. I refuse to be the end of you...

I am suddenly battered from behind by tiny fists. "You bastard! You killed Kagome… I'll kill you!" The fox child scampers onto my shoulder and sinks his teeth into my ear. I hardly feel the bite, but the childish accusation cuts deeply into my freshly mutilated heart. For once I feel no inclination to strike Shippo. All I can remember now is how much you loved him, and how you always defended him from my angry outbursts.

I cannot argue with him that I killed you. I never should have allowed you to put yourself in such danger. In my mindless state, I murdered you without a thought or care. In one swipe of my damned claws, I lost my best friend.

There was so much I left unsaid, and now I will never be able to say it. I never told you how much I liked your cooking. I never really minded you pulling my ears. Your angry face made me want you. I loved how helpless you were, always needing my protection. Right now, I would give anything to hear you say "Sit!" and to be slammed to the ground.

I never told you how beautiful you were. I never told you how thankful I was to have you by my side, how you saved me from myself a thousand times. You accepted me for who I was, and I acted so ungrateful to you.

I never told you that I lived every day for you, and would have died a thousand times for you.

I never told you that I loved you.

"I despise you, Inuyasha!" Shippo wails in my ear. His cries are almost as loud as mine. But his strength has given out, and he falls on your body and shakes your corpse with his sobbing. I slam a furious fist into the ground, cursing through my tears. I never thought I'd be the end of you.

Then I feel a hand lightly touch my back, and turn to view Sango, her face tear-washed. She has lost someone too, or rather two people, on this vile and cursed day. A lover and a brother are gone from her world, never to be replaced, and you were her best friend. But Sango has no bodies to hold and weep over as I am holding and weeping over you. The passing of Kohaku left no visible mark upon the earth, and all that remains of Miroku is a large crater where his wind tunnel had its day.

Sango holds out her hand, her friendship, her comfort, and I take it gratefully. I set your body aside and hold Sango and Shippo close to me. We embrace each other, all weeping, all lost.

This is the scene I wake from tonight, to see your face. You hover over me, worry clouding your deep brown eyes as you speak my name in that mellifluous voice. "Inuyasha, you were crying in your sleep." I feel tears on my face. That nightmare was so real.

The embers of the dying campfire flicker behind you, illuminating your features. With a moan of relief, I pull you down into my arms, overjoyed to find you real, warm and living. You hug me in return, though I know you are somewhat thrown by this display of affection. I rarely act this way.

I hold you for the longest time, saying nothing, and needing no words, but content to feel your warm, soft female body against my hard one, to feel your chest rise and fall against mine as you breathe. I inhale that heavenly scent of yours, the one that never fails to soothe me. "You're so beautiful," I hear myself say. It sounds like someone else's voice, but I like the taste of those words and so I say them again: "You're beautiful, Kagome. I guess I've never told you that before."

I open my eyes to look into yours. The only sound is that of Miroku, Sango, and Shippo snoring. "What's the matter, Inuyasha?" you say at last. Your voice is tender, and your eyes are full of compassion and love as you smooth my sweat-damp hair.

"I was so afraid," I say in a hushed tone, "I thought I lost you . . . no, I thought I . . . killed you." A shudder runs through me as I confess. You say nothing, but hug me tighter, as if to assure me that you are indeed here, and you are alive, and that you would still trust me with your life.

I curl myself around you, and bury my face in your soft black hair. "Believe me, Kagome," I say in a whisper, "I'm going to be different from now on." I hold you more tightly as I go on. "I will never be the end of you."

_Well, that's it! I had yougoing for a minutethere, didn't I? Well I told you I like to play games with people's minds! Anyway, please review! _


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